Ducks re-sign Drew Helleson to two-year contract

One of the rising blueliners in the NHL has inked another NHL contract.

On Friday, the Anaheim Ducks announced that the team has re-signed defenseman Drew Helleson to a two-year contract. The deal, considerably a bridge contract, will carry an AAV of $1.1 million through the 2026-27 season.

Helleson is coming off his three-year, entry-level contract, which had a cap hit of $925,000. He was originally taken by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft. However, his rights were traded to Anaheim in the deal that saw Josh Manson go to the Avalanche.

Even though he played a few games with the Ducks during the 2022-23 season, it wasn’t until this past year that Helleson made his mark in the NHL. Although he started the season with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, once Helleson was called up in mid-November, he was hardly out of the Anaheim lineup.

The Farmington, Minnesota native appeared in 56 games, missing just a few games as a healthy scratch. He ended up scoring four goals and nine assists for 13 points, finishing second in scoring by a rookie defenseman, only trailing the Calder Trophy winner, Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens. Helleson registered a plus/minus of +6 in his rookie season, which was the best among first-year rearguards, and tied for seventh among all NHL rookies. He averaged 16:21 of ice time per game in 2024-25 as well.

The 24-year-old has played in 59 games in his young NHL career, scoring five goals and nine assists for 14 points.

In parts of three seasons with the Gulls, Helleson scored nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points, registering a -43 rating and 121 penalty minutes.

With the signing, the Ducks are projected to have a little over $21.3 million in cap space next season, according to CapWages.